


The Colossus

by rahelawriter



Category: Final Fantasy X-2
Genre: Gen, Zanarkand, bevelle, machina war, vegnagun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-09
Updated: 2013-12-09
Packaged: 2018-01-03 00:19:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1063423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rahelawriter/pseuds/rahelawriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Machina War is raging, and Shuyin is determined to end it. But he's aware of the risks, and the fact that he may well lose what he's trying to protect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Colossus

The air was stuffy and rank with the smell of metal and machinery. The corridor, lit only by dim, fluorescent lights on the wall along the floor. And in the underground labyrinth beneath the machina city of Bevelle, in the hallway leading to the most destructive weapon in Spira, the only sound to be heard was that of heavy footsteps belonging to a young man, who was there for a desperate purpose.

The young man was Shuyin, from Zanarkand, the city that Bevelle was currently warring and winning against. Why was he behind enemy lines like this? He didn't have any other choice. The love of his life, the songstress and summoner Lenne, was in a kill-or-be-killed warzone, and from what he had seen, the effects of the war's horror and desolation were already taking their toll on her. The bright, gentle, kind, sincere, almost playful summoner that Shuyin had fallen in love with was fading fast, and he had no time to lose in ending this conflict. And tiptoeing through the empty hallway in the dead of night, he was mentally preparing himself to approach his last resort. 

Lenne could never know what Shuyin was planning to do. As forgiving as she was, stealing the enemy's greatest weapon and using it to hold the entire city hostage as leverage to demand Bevelle's surrender was very likely to go far beyond what she could forgive. . Their last conversation, only a few hours past, still rang fresh in his mind. . .

_'Shuyin? Where are you going?'_

_'Don't worry, I'll be back soon.'_

_'Is something wrong?'_

_'With me, or in general?'_

_Lenne's brow furrowed in disapproval. 'That's not funny.'_

_Shuyin turned back to face her. 'Look, I'll be fine,' he said, gently putting his hand on her shoulder, giving it what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. 'And by the time I come back, you will be, too.'_

_But this only seemed to disturb the summoner even more. 'What do you mean. . . ?'_

_'Just trust me, Lenne. Alright?' He gently brushed a lock of hair out of her face and kissed her forehead. A look of uncertainty crossed Lenne's face, and for a moment she seemed as though she was going to say more; but instead she could only step away and turn her back to her lover. Shuyin paused for a moment, and slowly, gently, tenderly hugged her close from behind. 'This will all be over soon. I love you. . .' But when she didn't say anything, Shuyin sighed in defeat, took his arms from off her shoulders, and walked away. Lenne didn't believe him, no matter how much she might have wanted to. And she was right; Shuyin could hardly believe his own words._

_Looking back to her just before he could leave her earshot, he whispered, '. . . Save your tears. 'Cause I'll come back.'_

Those words were a promise. Lenne could cry as much as she wanted to, but not yet; he told her to save them for a moment when they would be tears of joy. When the war was over and she wouldn't have to worry about the shadow of death looming over her every second; when she could feel safe in her guardian's arms again. Of course Shuyin was ashamed that he to hide the truth from her, and of course he was afraid of the very real possibility that his Lenne would be enraged with him, leave him, even hate him for what he was about to do; the very thought made him sick to the pit of his stomach. But he'd come far beyond the point of no return, and the fates of two cities, two armies, and one beloved songstress would be decided one way or another. With these heavy thoughts in mind, Shuyin strode through the door labelled 'Limbo'; the chamber that held Vegnagun.

He walked down the passageway, a narrow bridge suspended over a space with no discernible floor. The only lights came from the shimmering symbols hovering along the domed ceiling, and from the top of it, a cascade of wires leading down to the machina's head.

Once he'd almost reached the end of the bridge, Shuyin briefly paused to size up his quarry; it was a truly ghastly sight, with a harsh and menacing skeleton-like face being the clearest thing visible in the dark room. He'd come to know about Vegnagun the day before the summoners had to leave for the War. The pianist was leaving the Dome's audience chambre after he had unsuccessfully tried pleading with Lord Yevon to negotiate with the enemy or at least assist the soldiers with his supposedly unparalleled skills in the summoner's arts, when a Zanarkand informant brought in a sphere taken underneath Bevelle to the city-state's ruler. The sphere was of a colossal, beastly machina, and the moment Shuyin saw it, he knew it was what he needed. Seconds after the sphere had finished playing, he darted out of the audience chamber before the informant or Yevon, busy breaking the sphere in two in a fit of what was most likely frustration, could realize that they had been overheard.

And finally seeing it up close, this instrument of death that would become his ultimate weapon, a grim look of both determination and satisfaction crossed his face. Shuyin trotted the rest of the way to the platform at the end of the bridge, gazing up towards Vegnagun, fighting the urge to shiver in its presence. This was his last chance; all attempts to appeal to authority figures had failed, none of the summoners in the army were willing to desert, and his only friends had refused to help him in capturing this weapon. With all this in mind, the young man addressed the machina.

"You know, you're all I can count on to save Lenne."

But no sooner than the words had left his mouth, floodlights snapped on, alarms started blaring, and Shuyin turned around, his look of shock turning into a burning glower, immediately spotting the source of his detection. A floating security sphere. . . How could he have missed that? Any second now Bevelle guards would be rushing in to arrest him on the spot. Seething with ever-growing rage, Shuyin slowly turned back to Vegnagun, wondering if this would mean only a minor setback, or the end of everything he held dear. . .


End file.
